The King was with his hands on the ground, trying to prevent himself from collapsing.

Seeing him suffering that way was making her heartache. 

How could she just stand there doing nothing? Why her nerves always made her powerless?

She wanted to run into him and fondle him, to take away his misery and hers. That’s all she wanted to do at the moment. Yet so many people were around her, waiting for her to react. The many eyes gazing at her made her more anxious. She was afraid to be scolded.

She was worried about making things worse. Maybe her powers were not good enough to help the king. If true, she would disappoint everybody.

She turned her head when she felt a tap on the shoulder. 

Tiago stood beside her and looked at her cheerfully, then at the beautiful Berit who had golden hair and hazel eyes. She intensely stared right into Elisi’s eyes, like she was his last salvation.

How could one refuse such eyes full of emotion? It would be a crime.

Elisi lightly released her hands from Berit’s grasp and walked calmly towards the king. When she reached him, she slowly bent down and lay her hand on his shivering shoulder.

He did not seem to notice her. His pain was too great to focus on anything else other than that.

She could feel that he wanted to be left alone, wished nobody saw him like that. 

How come I can sense it? I thought it was only mages who could do that.

Why can I?

She was looking down at him with an uneasy face. 

I’m not strong enough to tell people to leave the room. I’m sorry I can’t grant you your wishes... But I will try to ease your pain, even if I don’t know what I’m doing. I promise I will try...

While still resting her hand on the side of his shoulder, a tingling sensation began to run trough her fingertips, as if little ants were walking on her hands.

I’ve never felt this before... Are my powers working?

She was smiling inside; felt hopeful. She finally could feel something as she was using her healing.

Slowly the tingling sensation spread throughout her body and little by little it became painful. 

Elisi’s eyes flinched, but she remained kneeling and calm next to the suffering king. She did not take her hand off of him and all his pain was absorbing back to her. His pain was too much for a person to handle, that pain was killing him slowly, but the gods and his power were idling the demise.

Welcoming more and more pain, more pain that one could handle. Her little body was breaking at the weight of it all.

It hurts! It hurts so much!

Is this the pain that he is feeling? She could not let him bear it all by himself. His invisible scars were revealing themselves in her eyes.

How can he endure this?

More, I need to stand it a bit more, I can do that!

The King rose, his face wrinkled, trying to sustain the curse inside him.

“Ta... T... Take her away from me!” unexpectedly the king shouted with a struggling voice, “She...she will not....”

Losing control of herself. Suddenly, the pain became too strong. Elisi’s body trembled. 

Tiago was standing looking in shock, feeling helpless.

Under the king’s orders, he was trying every spell and magic to separate them, to no avail.

It went wrong, it all went wrong! Those words kept running through his head. He should not have called her.

He felt he could not save Elisi from the king’s curse. The realization that not only she was taking his pain but also taking his curse upon her body made him feel desperation. At that moment, all life left his lively eyes. He could not stop it, no matter how much he tried.

He kept looking at Elisi helplessly. The girl that he saw like his silly sister was breaking in front of him. 

Her body was shaking. Despite the awful state she was in, she remained quiet next to the king. How long will she stand the pain?

I can’t any more, my body feels like shuttering...

I... I... I can’t take my hand off. It’s like I’m glued to him... I tried ... I can’t... I’m sorry; it hurts! It burns me...I failed.

The pain was something usual to her, but this was too strong. She tried not to make a sound. She could not stand herself any more, every part of hers was separated and sentiments of failure filled the emptiness building inside her. It was pulling her deeper into a black hole.

“What’s happening?! Is she hurting father?” Berit tried to rescue her father and got closer to them, “Elisi, stop it!” she shouted.

Tiago put himself in front of her. He had a horrified look in his eyes.

Berit has never seen the always playful Tiago this way.

“Don’t touch them!!!”

Tiago intensely screamed “especially don’t touch her”

He was trying to divide the two with his magic, but the bond was too strong.

Using all his power, his face became red and his hand quivered. He was giving all he had, but his power was not enough.

“Grandfather!!!” He called in surrender.

Sebastian suddenly appeared, and a grand purple barrier arose within Elisi and the king.

They seemed to be separated and with a hand movement; he shoved Elisi to the side.

“I’m sorry, grandfather!” Tiago said, almost sobbing whilst falling to the floor on his knees, exhausted.

Berit, confused, was looking at her father and Tiago. She didn’t know who to attend. Everything was a downfall around her, but her father was still alive, and that was all that mattered.

The butler saw Elisi. Her eyes were open yet lifeless, still in pain. He tried to approach her.

“Don’t touch her yet!”

Implored Sebastian.

The King was struggling to get up. He still looked in pain. Then he began crawling towards Elisi using all the energy he had left.

Berit run to her father and hugged him from behind. Stopping him from getting closer to Elisi, who was laying down shivering on the ground.

“Father, are you better?”

“I need to go back to her, I need to take back the curse,” he looked kindly at his daughter “This time it will be fine, she healed me”

Sebastian approached Berit warmly, holding on to her shoulders. She looked at his smiling eyes.

“It will be fine, I’m here... I promise you, my dear”

If it went wrong, he would need to choose between the king and Elisi. It was an obvious choice he did not want to make.

It pained him to say those words. He prayed it will be fine.